Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the garlic, salt and pepper. Let marinate for 15 minutes while you make the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add the onion and pepper and cook until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika and hot pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and fry for 30 seconds.

Coarsely puree the canned tomatoes with their juices in a food processor. Add this mixture to the pan along with the tomato sauce and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer the sauce until thick and richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.

Taste the sauce. If too acidic, add the sugar. If you like a smooth fricassee, return the sauce to the processor and puree. (I prefer a chunky fricassee, so I generally don't bother.)

Stir the chicken into the sauce and simmer until cooked and richly flavored, 10 to 15 minutes. Correct seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the fricassee to a platter and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley.

More chicken recipes

If you use a kosher chicken, it is not necessary to salt it before roasting, because the birds are salted in their processing.

Meanwhile, heat large pot of salted water to boil; add bay leaf. Add Brussels sprouts, carrots and potatoes. Cook at gentle boil, until almost tender, about 10 minutes.

Transfer vegetables with slotted spoon to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain vegetables; pat dry with paper towels.

Raise oven to 400 degrees. Place vegetables in chicken roasting pan without rack. Season with salt and pepper to taste; toss with drippings. Roast, turning once or twice, until vegetables pierce easily with tip of knife and potatoes are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Place chicken and vegetables on serving platter. Carve; serve with pan drippings, if desired.

Roast Chicken with Maple and Walnut Glaze

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe is adapted from "The Hudson River Valley Cookbook," by Waldy Malouf.

Glaze:

1/2 cup walnut halves, finely chopped

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Chicken:

1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, giblets removed

Salt, freshly ground pepper

1 small bunch fresh thyme

5 shallots, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chicken broth

Sauce:

1 tablespoon each: unsalted butter, flour

Salt, freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. For glaze, combine walnuts, syrup and vinegar in small bowl; set aside. Season cavity of chicken with salt and pepper. Put half of the thyme, 1/3 of the shallots and 1/3 of the garlic in cavity.

Place remaining thyme, shallots and garlic in roasting pan. Truss chicken, if desired. Rub skin with olive oil; season outside with salt and pepper.